Norman Gillies and Family return

30 August 2005

Excitement ran high on the morning of Thursday August 25th with the eagerly anticipated arrival of the Gillies family on St Kilda.Norman John Gillies was evacuated from the island at the age of five, and now, seventy-five years later, he was returning with his family.

Eagerly, Norman jumped out of the helicopter, followed by his wife Ivy, his daughters Bridgit and Shirley, and his son John.There was precious little time before the helicopter would take them back to the mainland and so the whirlwind tour of Village Bay began without a moment to spare …through the village to House 10 and 15 where Norman was born and lived, to House 1 for a cup of tea and picnic, down to the church, and then up to the top of the hill for a view of the islands and stacs… alas, there was not enough time to listen to all Norman’s childhood memories of life on the island.